Cowan watches, waits

AUSTRALIA's first line of defence for the looming South Africa Test series, opener Ed Cowan, hopes extensive scouting will compensate for him having not faced any of the Proteas bowlers before.

The winter Australia A tour of England overlapped perfectly with South Africa facing England in a Test series, which the visitors won 2-0. Left-handed Cowan said he had watched as much of Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel and Imran Tahir as he could between his training and playing responsibilities.

"I'm a meticulous planner, so when I was in England when they were playing the Test series against England I watched them pretty closely," Cowan said.

"I certainly already have my plans in place for those bowlers and I'll . . . really start preparing for their bowlers. On the flipside, they haven't seen me bat either. It might be a bit of a staring contest first-up."

Philander scythed through Australia's batsmen in last year's two-Test series, primarily due to sideways movement rather than pace. Cowan, who was not part of the series in which Philander claimed 14 wickets at 13.93, said he was hopeful Philander would not be as influential in this series.

"He's obviously a high-class bowler. He's bowled beautifully for 12 to 18 months, which is a long time in cricket.

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I think the Gabba will probably suit his style of bowling. Again, that's just another challenge of opening the batting."

Cowan, 30, acknowledged his performances against the Proteas will influence whether he remains at the top of the Test batting order.

Chief selector John Inverarity last week gave a strong endorsement to the watchful left-hander, despite his average of 29.83 after seven Tests.

"Steve Waugh averaged [poorly at the start of his career]. There are a lot of players who in their first five or six games haven't set the world on fire and have then come through and flourished," Inverarity said. "We picked Ed Cowan, he deserved to be picked. He's played well on two or three occasions and we're backing him to do well this time."